Daughter of the Dai Li
by Anime-StarWars-fan-zach
Summary: A decade before the coming of Sozin's Comet, the Bei Fongs took an impromptu trip to Ba Sing Se. However, Lao and his wife died within the city, leaving their poor, defenseless daughter without a caretaker. And thus, the lives of one Toph Bei Fong...and one Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of The Impenetrable City, are forever changed.
1. Gaining Something New

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or anything else associated with the animated universe created by Mike Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. So please do not sue me; trust me, you wouldn't get any money out of it. _

* * *

**Chapter 1: Gaining Something New**

It was a beautiful and vibrant night in Ba Sing Se. Its citizens were awash with jovial festivities, for tonight marked the birth of the grand and powerful Avatar Kyoshi. While long dead, the last Earth Kingdom Avatar was still a highly respected and beloved figure within the nation, and thus the anniversary of her birth was still a highly celebrated event.

All throughout the city, both the poor and rich alike partied like there was no tomorrow. Spiritual festivals were hosted to honor the lifetime achievements of Kyoshi, private gatherings among more social-minded people were held, and amazing light shows were put on display with fireworks. It was a night unlike any other in Ba Sing Se, and it would be a night not soon forgotten by anyone.

Unfortunately for one Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and Head of the Dai Li, he could not enjoy this night of hedonism as much as his fellow compatriots. For while the people of Ba Sing Se celebrated into the night, he was stuck in his office, going through an endless stack of paperwork that somehow seemed to be getting bigger, instead of smaller.

Such was the plight of the most important man in Ba Sing Se; since King Kuei could not be bothered with the minutiae of government administration, it was up to Long Feng to take care of all that troublesome business himself. And, combining that with his dual positions of Grand Secretariat and Head of the Dai Li, it led to a great deal of work having to be done.

Still, it was a worthy price to ensure that The Impenetrable City would remain safe and sound. And in the end, that was all that Long Feng cared about. So long as Ba Sing Se survived, he could endure a little pencil-pushing. No matter how utterly irritating and pointless it all seemed to be...

"...Perhaps I should force Kuei to do his own fair share of the work," Long Feng mused to himself, as he moved on to the next requisition form; something to do about cabbages and a loan, he gathered, as his eyes skimmed the page. Detecting nothing in the contents of the form that would harm Ba Sing Se in one way or another, Long Feng simply added his signature and moved on to the next paper.

This continued for some time, until a knock at the door interrupted his work.

Long Feng repressed the urge to smile at the opportune distraction, but all the same he could not keep out a note of gratitude in his voice, as he spoke. "Come in."

The door opened, and a Dai Li agent stepped in. The agent nodded promptly at him, and stated in a crisp, even tone,

"The operation against the Bei Fongs is complete, sir. Agents Hiu and Fukoda successfully abducted Lao and his wife from a party hosted by the Yum Soon Hans. From there they were taken to Lake Laogai, and interrogated. After we received all the useful information we could from them, they were...disposed of, as ordered."

"Excellent." Long Feng did smile, this time, though it did not contain any warmth to it.

"And the Bei Fong's house? What did you find there?" Long Feng inquired.

"All sorts of documents pertaining to the dissidents in Ba Sing Se, sir. It seems that Lao was more involved with them than we previously anticipated. With the information we've acquired from him, we should be able to grind all dissident movement to a halt." The Agent dispassionately reported.

"Good, very good." Long Feng leaned back into his chair, and motioned for his subordinate to leave. "You did good work, Agent Zu. I shall see that you are commended for your actions. You are dismissed."

Long Feng turned his attention back to his paperwork, and was set to read a report about recent skirmishes with Fire Nation soldiers on the Serpent's Pass, when he heard a gentle cough. He looked up, and noticed that Agent Zu was still present.

"I said you were dismissed, Agent." Long Feng stated with annoyance. To his mild alarm, Zu began to look vaguely uncomfortable, and his eyes wandered around the room. Long Feng brought his hands together and gazed intently at the Agent. Finally, Zu said at length,

"You should know, sir, that there was an...unforeseen complication, at the Bei Fong household."

"An 'unforeseen complication'?" Long Feng questioned as his face darkened. Whatever Zu was about to say, he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

"Yes, sir." Zu replied. After a hesitant pause, he went on.

"There...was a child at the Bei Fong mansion. Sir."

Silence. A pause. And then...

"A child?"

"Yes, sir. It appears the Bei Fongs had a...daughter."

Long Feng swallowed uneasily, a sick feeling welling up inside him. This...he had not anticipated this, when he had ordered the Dai Li to move against the visiting Bei Fongs. By all accounts, the couple seemed to be childless, and none of the preliminary intelligence reports from Gaoling suggested the existence of an heir. This was...most definitely an unforeseen complication.

"...Their dossiers contained no mention of a daughter, Agent." Long Feng said at last, his voice filled with growing dread.

Zu gave an almost queasy nod. "I...know, sir. But it...appears that the Bei Fongs kept her existence entirely hidden from the outside world."

"I...see." Long Feng brought a hand to his temples, and withheld the urge to groan as another wave of nausea assaulted him. So, then. He had...he had created an orphan. That was...unfortunate. To say the least.

"_Mother? Why won't you wake up?"_

A flash of repressed memory came to him, and it took all his strength to bat it away. He could not...he _would _not...allow himself to be _overcome_ by events best forgotten. No matter the disturbing parallels they had with ongoing events. After all, Long Feng had a job to do, now. Due to the over-protectiveness of the Bei Fongs, he now had a dire situation on his hands.

A poor girl no longer had her parents, now. And it was all his fault.

"There is...more, sir." Zu said.

Long Feng looked back at him, and tried to glare, but he couldn't even muster up the energy to do that. He took no notice of how his hands trembled, slightly, as he spoke. "What now?"

"She is...blind, sir. The daughter of the Bei Fongs is blind."

Long Feng could not keep it back, and this time he did groan.

Fighting to retain some semblance of self-control, he eventually asked the question he desperately did not want the answer to. "How...how old is she, Zu?"

The Dai Li Agent looked away. "Three, maybe two years old, sir. Possibly even younger; we couldn't quite tell."

Long Feng gathered a sharp intake of breath, and slowly released it.

This...this was not good. Not in the least. The orphan was blind _and _a toddler. This...was not promising to end well.

"What...are our options, then?" Long Feng dared to ask, his stomach rolling at the idea of trying to make that poor child 'disappear'. If...at all possible, he would try to avoid that outcome. There had to be..._something_ they could do for the girl. _Something. _

Long Feng was a man who had done many unsavory things during his life in order to protect Ba Sing Se. But he was _not _about to stoop so low as to murder a child barely old enough to walk and talk.

"We could send her to an...orphanage, sir." Zu answered, notably not mentioning even the _possibility_ of sending the girl to Lake Laogai, as they had her parents.

"But..." He added, eyes downcast as his lips twitched. "Given her...disability, and her age, and the fact that the orphanages in Ba Sing Se are overcrowded as is...I do not believe she would survive there long."

Long Feng dimly nodded, and stared at his cluttered desk, contemplating the matter. There was no doubt that Zu was right. The girl wasn't even old enough to properly fend for herself, not to mention _blind._ She was helpless and defenseless without anyone around to protect her. She wouldn't last a week at any of the overcrowded, underfunded orphanages in Ba Sing Se.

They couldn't send her back to her family, either. Lao and his wife had no known living siblings, and what family the two did have were spread throughout the entire Earth Kingdom.

There was no way they could seek out any family to take in the child; assuming they would even do so. Not to mention sending the child to any sort of family would acknowledge that _something _had happened to her parents in Ba Sing Se. And as far as Long Feng was concerned, the rest of the world would believe that the Bei Fongs had disappeared somewhere between The Impenetrable City and Gaoling, on their journey home. He could _not _leave any evidence that would suggest otherwise.

But at the same time, he could _not_ order the execution of a blind child. That was a level that Long Feng was determined never to sink to, if he could help it.

What was he to do, then? There was nowhere they could send the girl. What was to be her ultimate fate, then?

An idea occurred to him, then: an idea that would forever change the life of Long Feng. Should he follow the path he was contemplating now, it would not be an easy road. But it was far, far better than the alternative.

"I may be many things, but I'll be damned if I become the same sort of monster that ordered the death of my own parents." Long Feng muttered firmly to himself, his mind made up on the matter.

"Sir?"

Long Feng snapped his head back at Agent Zu, and swiftly stood up. "Where is the girl now?"

"She is...ah, still at the Bei Fong household, sir. We were...we were unsure where else to take her. Agents Fukoda and Hiu are, ah, with her now." Zu stammered nervously.

Long Feng gave him a measured nod and immediately barked out his next question. "Who else knows about her? Have you told anyone else about this...unforeseen complication?"

"N-No, sir!" Zu was quick to reassure, his eyes widening. "N-Not at all! The only ones who know about her are myself, and Agents Hiu and Fukoda. And you, now. No one else knows about her."

"I see." Long Feng gave the Agent a long and hard stare. "See that it stays that way. Take me to her. Now."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Zu paused, and carefully voiced a hesitant inquiry, "What...what are you going to do to her, sir?"

"The only thing I can do, Zu. The only thing I can possibly do to make this right." Long Feng took in a calming breath, steeling himself for what was to come.

"I...am going to make her my daughter."


	2. First Impressions

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or anything else associated with the animated universe created by Mike Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. So please do not sue me; trust me, you wouldn't get any money out of it. _

* * *

**Chapter 2: First Impressions**

"Here we are, sir." Agent Zu stated, and gestured to the manor before them. Long Feng gave a curt nod.

"Good. Remain here for the time being, Agent. I will go retrieve the...child." He said. Zu gave a slight nod of his own, and Long Feng strode into the open doors of the Bei Fong's Upper Ring manor.

The journey to the manor had been a short one, but nonetheless the Grand Secretariat had been getting more and more anxious every minute it took to arrive. Even now, a good deal of apprehension filled Long Feng; and that was something he hadn't experienced in years.

A part of him questioned the sanity of this whole plan. He had never been a father before, and in all honestly he had no idea how to raise a child at all. Becoming a father-figure in general had never figured into his grand designs.

Admittedly, it was true that he had fallen in love, once. However, that had been a long time ago, not to mention the fact that Lien was long dead. In fact, he had even given up the very notion of having any sort of family after assuming control over the Dai Li. But now, here he was: on the verge of adopting a young, blind little girl.

Fate had an interesting sense of humor, it seemed.

Still, Long Feng was committed to this course of action. He was now responsible for this girl's destiny, for better or for worse, and the Head of the Dai Li would ensure that whatever future she had now, it would be the best possible one he could grant. If that meant that he was to become her father...then so be it.

Though he wasn't doing this _just _because of his new-found responsibility to the child. No, not at all. Guilt played a part in it, of course. He did not regret eliminating the Bei Fongs, since they had cooperated with the dangerous dissident movement within Ba Sing Se, but he _did_ regret orphaning this poor girl. Had he known the Bei Fongs had an heir, he might have simply ordered them to be 'reeducated' in Lake Laogai, and then sent back to Gaoling.

But that didn't encompass everything, either. Guilt and duty drove him to a certain degree, but those feelings played a minor part in the grand scheme of things. If Long Feng was truly honest with himself, he was mainly doing this because...because...

_"...Please wake up, Mom. Please. I-I'll be better, I p-promise! Just...just wake up already..."_

...No child deserved to lose their parents, no matter what their crimes. Even if the girl's birth parents were dead now, she would _still_ have someone to look out for her. She would _still_ have someone to call 'Father' at the end of the day. She would _still_ have a family, even if it was an unconventional one.

And in the end, Long Feng hoped that would be enough for this poor, innocent child.

After a brief search of the house, he finally came upon Agents Fukoda and Hiu, standing in front of what he presumed was the bedroom of the Bei Fong girl. Though the two Dai Li agents weren't as...ready and alert as Long Feng would have liked.

"I assure you, being an undercover tailor is a respectable assignment!" Agent Fukoda insisted to his comrade, sweeping his arms dramatically. Hiu appeared unconvinced, however, and openly scoffed at his partner.

"Right," Hiu shook his head. "And the Fire Lord is a flying Platypus-Bear. I'd sooner eat the gruel Agent Lee calls food than go undercover as a tailor, of all things. I'd rather do something useful, like train a Joo Dee, instead. And we all know how boring of a job that is."

"Oh, come now! You're just being close-minded. You'd be surprised what people talk about with their tailor around—"

"Agents!" Long Feng barked in an irritated growl. Hiu and Fukoda immediately stood at attention, and ceased their conversation.

"M-My apologizes, sir." Fukoda stuttered as he flushed an uncomfortable shade of crimson. "We were just, ah..."

"I don't care." Long Feng replied, sending them both a sharp glare. "Status report. Now."

"All the guards and servants in the manor have been neutralized, sir, and are ready to be disposed of at the usual place. Right now they're piled in the basement, awaiting an extraction team." Hiu promptly stated, and after a hesitant pause, nudged Fukoda.

At once he said, "Ah, and the...child is unconscious, sir. Luckily for us she was fast asleep when we found her. Shall we...dispose of her, too?"

"No, not at all." Long Feng declared, his voice set. He noticed the Agents visibly relax at that knowledge.

While he was hesitant to admit it, the Grand Secretariat was rather pleased to see that these men had been just as reluctant to harm the child as he had been. It was a good thing to know that, for all the questionable actions the Dai Li undertook for the continued preservation and safety of Ba Sing Se, there were some lengths that even _they_ were unwilling to go to. For reasons he couldn't quite understand, that...comforted him.

"I will let you know the girl's fate shortly. For now, join Senior Agent Zu outside, while I...tend to her." Long Feng ordered. Hiu and Fukoda exchanged a glance, but they obeyed him nonetheless, and swiftly walked away.

Long Feng looked up at the door to the girl's bedroom, and paused. Once he opened that door, his life would never be the same again. Raising a daughter would have many repercussions in his life, both good and bad. There was no telling what kind of changes could be wrought from this single, momentous decision. And yet...it had to be done, for the sake of this little girl.

So without a second thought, Long Feng reached out to the entrance, and pushed the doors opened.

A small playroom greeted him: the floor was littered with various toys that young children often took delight in playing with, there were nor sharp edges anywhere in the room, not even on the furniture, and the room projected an overall image of being a youthful paradise.

However, Long Feng didn't really notice that at all. His attention was pulled to a small bed near the center of the room, where a little girl peacefully slumbered. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, he slowly crept over to the bed, and took his first glimpse of his new daughter.

She was...divine, one could say. Or at the very least, she certainly looked rather peaceful and calm. Of course, she was asleep, so that likely contributed to that image. She was also...pretty cute, too. Long Feng had never really been one to call things 'cute' before, or one to really notice such qualities in any person or thing, but he had to admit that this child looked rather..._cute_. If just in her sleep.

He'd never admit that in public, though. Long Feng had no doubt his reputation would _never_ recover from such a blight as admitting something was cute, even if it was true.

Long Feng gave a gentle sigh, and did his best to banish such distracting thoughts. He had no time for such...affections. Right now he had a mission to do, and it would be best to do it before the girl awoke.

Long Feng reached down cautiously, and pulled the covers off the sleeping child. Ever so slowly, so he wouldn't disturb her sleep, he gathered the child into his arms and scooped her up to his chest. Blessedly, his actions did not wake her at all, and she merely tried to shift comfortably in his hold. Long Feng stared at her for a few moments, feeling..._something_ well up in his chest, an uncomfortable and unfamiliar emotion...but he soon regained his senses and suppressed whatever it was that overcame him. This was no time for needless distractions.

He turned and ambled his way out of her room, and then moved to leave the Bei Fong manor. It took him longer than he would have liked, but he dare not increase his already slow pace. The girl was asleep for now, and he would like for her to remain that way, until he reached their new home. Dealing with a confused and possibly frightened child was not on his agenda this night, if he could help it.

And, while he was loathe to admit it, there was also a...paternal part of him that just didn't want to interrupt her peaceful sleep, or upset her in general, really.

Long Feng tried not to think about that complication too much. He could ill afford to get too attached to this girl, even if he was adopting her. If he grew too close to her, and something happened to her...

He had managed to survive the deaths of his parents, and later on, the death of his beloved Lien. Long Feng wasn't sure he could survive the death of his daughter.

In time, he finally came upon the exit of the manor, and stepped outside into the night. Agents Zu, Hiu, and Fukoda were all waiting for him.

"As of this moment," Long Feng began, as he lowered his voice and shifted the sleeping child in his arms, "I am entrusting the three of you with a state secret. Due to our limited options, in regards to the previously unknown Bei Fong Heir, I will be adopting the girl as my own. Until such a time I deem it safe for her to re-enter into society, her existence shall remain a top level secret. I trust the three of you can maintain your silence; you all know what will happen if you do not."

The three Dai Li agents all exchanged a glance, and in the dark of the night, Long Feng couldn't read their expressions. However, they offered no resistance to his command, and they bowed their heads in acknowledgment.

He then stated, "Good. You all have one final assignment tonight, then. Clear the house of all personal belongings and possessions. Anything of value that you find can be kept and stored away in Lake Laogai to sell at a later date, per the usual procedures. Everything else can be disposed of with the bodies. Once that is done, leave the house in a state that suggests that the Bei Fongs left Ba Sing Se in a hurry. After that is completed, you are dismissed. File your report as always, but omit any mention of this girl in the official report."

Zu, Hiu, and Fukoda nodded once more, and they shuffled back into the house to complete their last mission of the night. Now alone in the darkened streets of the Upper Ring, Long Feng allowed himself to look down at the peaceful little girl in his arms, and couldn't help but smile at her, if just for a brief moment. Then, somber reality returned to him, and for the first time in a long time, he prayed to the Spirits. This poor child would need all the help she could get.

_"Time to go home, then."_ Long Feng thought, and began the long journey to his own manor in the Upper Ring.


	3. The Beginning of a New Era

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or anything else associated with the animated universe created by Mike Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. So please do not sue me; trust me, you wouldn't get any money out of it. _

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Beginning of a New Era**

As the rising sun shed new light into Ba Sing Se, Long Feng eased out of his bed, dressed himself in a simple tunic, and walked into his kitchen. He set out to make some tea for himself, and for his new...guest.

The girl would be waking soon, no doubt, and he was doing his best to prepare for it. She would be thirsty, and it would be best to have her a ready drink. And she might be hungry too, now that he thought of it. Perhaps fixing her a light breakfast was also in order.

Whatever he could do or provide to make his new daughter comfortable, Long Feng would make sure to do so. The upcoming talk about her parents would be a hard one for the child to take, but perhaps his preparations would bring some measure of peace to her. If he was lucky.

The decision to tell the girl that he was her new guardian hadn't been a hard one to make. Telling her that he was only a temporary caretaker, and that her parents would return one day to take her back, was only a temporary solution, at best; it was possible that, given enough time, she would come to accept the new status quo, but it still left too many unanswered questions. Questions that Long Feng did not want her to ask.

And, if he was being honest to himself, Long Feng would rather not lie to her, in that regard. Odd, all things considered, but stretching the truth in such a manner did not feel right to him.

However, he had been more conflicted about _what _to tell her about her parents.

Briefly, he had considered telling her that the Bei Fongs had abandoned her, but decided that would be too cruel to tell her. It would be hard enough for her to adjust to the loss of her mother and father; making her believe that they had just up and left her was far more than Long Feng was willing to let the poor girl cope with.

So then, he decided to give the girl the truth...more or less. She would learn that her parents were dead, and nothing else. He doubted a child of her age would ask the cause of death, but he had a cover story ready, in any case. Were she older, he might have also worried about explaining away why _he _specifically was now taking care of her, but he had no need to be worried of that, either. Children her age were very trusting of adults, and Long Feng doubted an exception would be made for him. She was far too young, as well, to even know about the inner workings of guardianship and regency councils.

Not that she would need the latter, of course. The girl's life as a member of the Bei Fong household had ended the moment Long Feng chose to take her in as his own daughter. With no heirs or immediate relatives to take control over as head of the house, there was no doubt in his mind that the Bei Fong family would suffer a schism of some sort. But, that wasn't a concern of his at all. While the Bei Fong name was far reaching and powerful, their influence still held little sway in the management of Ba Sing Se, and would factor little now, in the girl's new life.

"...I don't even know her name." Long Feng paused in his cooking, and blinked at that little revelation. In all his planning and scheming, he hadn't ever really found out his new daughter's name at all. That was rather...distressing.

It was not like he could have asked for her name, though. The Bei Fongs had already been dead by then, and considering how carefully they had kept their daughter a secret from the world at large, the Grand Secretariat doubted they would have written her name down somewhere.

Finally, he concluded that it did not matter. He may not know the name of his new daughter yet, but he would soon enough. By this age, the girl ought to recognize and know her own name.

Banishing such thoughts for the time being, Long Feng went back to focusing on making breakfast. Soon enough it was done, and he placed the food and drinks on a small tray. Balancing it carefully in his hands, he strode out of the kitchen and went over to the room next to his.

Previously, it had been a guest room, though it had never really seen any use since Long Feng had acquired the posh manor from his old mentor, Cheng Shui. But now, the old dusted room would be used as his daughter's bedroom. The room would still need to be refurbished some before it could completely serve in that capacity, but for now it would suffice.

Long Feng gently opened the room's door, and walked inside. He placed the tray upon the nearby dresser, though only after clearing a bit of dust from the surface. Because of its non-use, the room only boasted the bed his daughter now slept in, and the aforementioned dresser; and both were not in the best of conditions, in all honesty.

Though that would all soon change, Long Feng vowed.

After taking a moment to observe the peaceful, sleeping child, Long Feng pulled the sheets off of her and gently started to shake her awake. A minute later, and the girl started to stir from her slumber.

"...Thirsty..." The little girl mumbled, as she rubbed a hand over her eyes. Long Feng blinked, but quickly complied, bringing a cup of tea to her lips. The girl sipped the drink, swiftly finishing it in one go.

"Hungry," She then said.

Long Feng obeyed once more, and the Grand Secretariat brought over a plate of her breakfast, taking a seat down next to her. He gently took her hand and guided it to the food.

After she ate a good portion of the food, Long Feng put the plate back on the dresser and sat down with her once more.

He hesitated for just a second before speaking, "Good morning, my dear child. What is your name?"

"Toph," The girl automatically replied, before tilting her head and looking over in his general direction. "Your voice is funny. Are you a new nanny?"

"...In a manner of speaking." Long Feng allowed, considering it. The child had had non-familial caretakers before, it seemed; that was good. It might help her better adjust to what was to come, then.

"Where's Mommy?" Toph then inquired.

Long Feng opened and closed his mouth, issuing a reluctant sigh after a moment. He breathed in a quick intake of air, and steeled himself for what was to come.

The child—Toph, he mentally reminded himself—was younger than he had been when his own parents had been taken from him, and perhaps due to her age wouldn't understand his words at first, though he had no doubt that she would still suffer and grieve in her own way. He hated himself for having to tell her this—indeed, a small part of him still loathed himself in general for the atrocity he had inadvertently committed, by ordering the execution of the Bei Fongs— but it needed to be done. No matter how painful the truth, Toph deserved to know it.

"I am afraid that you mother will not be coming to visit you, Toph..."

* * *

After Toph finally fell asleep for a short nap, much to Long Feng's relief, he was finally able to leave her room.

The whole conversation took less than half an hour to finish, but it felt like an eternity to Long Feng, once it concluded. The explanation to Toph had been concise and brief, but that didn't stopped him from still feeling uncomfortable. He thanked the Spirits that Toph was such a young child, and hadn't fully understood his words. She had a hard time just wrapping her head around the concept that Mommy and Daddy were dead; and because of that there hadn't been too many...troubling questions.

_"What is dead?"_

_"Oh, so like sleeping but not waking up..."_

_"Are you sure they're just not sleeping really hard?"_

_"Oh..."_

_"So...will I sleep and not wake up one day?"_

Still, now would be a hard time to follow. Long Feng didn't consider himself any sort of expert on children, but from his own experiences, he knew that Toph would need a period to adjust to her parent's death. And he was more than willing to give her such a recuperation.

"Now," Long Feng murmured to himself, as he went back to his room. "It is time to make preparations for Toph's new life."

As much as he would like to raise the girl solely by himself, to limit the chance of someone discovering her, he _did_ have an important job to do in Ba Sing Se. His duty was one that could _not_ be fostered off to some lackey, and thus he would be required to keep up his day job, so to speak.

From now on, however, he vowed to set up a strict limit on his working hours. Even if he couldn't watch over the girl all the time, that didn't mean he'd ignore or shun her altogether. From this day forward, there would be no late night hours at the Dai Li headquarters. He decided that, once evening settled on Ba Sing Se, he would leave work and go home to his daughter, with the only exceptions to that being some sort of immediate emergency that required his attention.

That meant shifting some of his workload onto others—perhaps employing assistants of a sort could help Long Feng in that area—but it was a necessary step to take. The upper management in the Dai Li would grumble and complain, of course, but his word was law, at the end of the day. There would be no permanent objections.

The question was, then, if he worked during the day, who was to watch over his daughter while he was gone?

That was a conundrum that had given him a lengthy headache, as Long Feng had made his plans over the previous night. Due to her status as a state secret of Ba Sing Se, simply hiring a nanny for Toph was out of the question. That person might talk, and if that talk reached the wrong ears...well, that was simply unacceptable.

Thus, he needed someone absolutely loyal to him to watch over his daughter, during the day. Someone who would _never_ betray either of them, someone who would always have the best interests of Toph in mind, someone who was an expert in child care...

And that was why Long Feng eventually decided that the Joo Dee program was the _perfect_ solution to his little problem.

* * *

One short trip later, and Long Feng was within the labyrinths that made up the base under Lake Laogai. He passed many agents on his way to his intended destination, and though many gave him curious glances about his surprise visit, none dared to question him. After all, he _was _the de facto King of Ba Sing Se, and their superior. What right would a lowly agent have to question what their superior was up to?

Soon enough Long Feng reached the end of his journey, and stepped inside the office of the man in charge of Lake Laogai: Supervisor Bai.

Supervisor Bai was a most curious individual, Long Feng had to admit. He was the only member of the hierarchy of the Old Regime that was still alive and working within the Dai Li. With the exception of his own brilliant mentor, who had supported Long Feng from the very beginning and had retired some years ago, almost all of upper management of the old Dai Li had either been killed in the Purge, or had fled the city. Yet, Bai had survived, despite the odds against him.

It hadn't been because of any political ingenuity the man may have had; oh no, it _certainly_ wasn't because of that. Bai didn't have a manipulative bone in his body.

No. The man was a dirty coward, plain and simple.

The body of Yun Uk, the last Head of the Dai Li, hadn't been cold for less than a day when Bai had jumped ship. Almost all of his colleagues had resisted Long Feng's violent seizure of power, for one reason or another, and they had all died as a result. But not Bai. Apparently he had seen the writing on the wall, and once Long Feng had made his bid for power, Bai hadn't hesitated at all in supporting him in his new regime.

Supervisor Bai was the sort of man that liked playing for the winning team, and the instant that Long Feng had murdered Yun Uk, and claimed himself Yun's successor, Bai had joined him immediately. And thus, he had sworn eternal allegiance to Long Feng, while his former friends were put to the sword.

Bai had been a very useful ally in his early days as the new Head of the Dai Li, and his support had swung over a sizable faction of Dai Li agents that had had no loyalties to either Yun Uk or Long Feng. In fact, without his support, Long Feng was quite sure that the Dai Li Civil War would have been much longer, and much more costly to the agency than it had been.

Thus, Bai had been given a premier position within the Dai Li, as Supervisor over Lake Laogai. It was a position that many desired, and few got. Only those who had high connections with the upper management could ever attain an enviable appointment like that.

Still, that didn't mean Long Feng trusted Bai. Oh no, not at all. He trusted Bai as much as he trusted Earth King Kuei. The only reason Bai had supported him at all was because he hadn't wanted to die in some foolish bid to avenge Yun Uk. The man was a coward; end of story. Long Feng had no doubt whatsoever about his real loyalties. If ever a coup were enacted against him and it looked like it would succeed, Bai would stab him in the back and join the other side in a heartbeat.

Thus, it was best to keep the man placated. Even if he had no true allegiance to anyone but himself, Bai was a useful bureaucrat, and a wise man in many things. It would be too troublesome to have him killed. Best to keep him comfortable and well within Long Feng's pocket, then.

"Greetings, Supervisor. It is a pleasure to see you again," Long Feng commented, as he stepped inside the office. Bai, who had been absorbed in the absolutely vital task of drawing doodles on his desk, immediately bolted up and swiftly straightened his robes.

"Ah, my, um, apologizes, sir!" Bai gave him a wide-eyed stare, and knocked over a stack of papers to hide the drawings on his desk. "I, um, didn't know it was time for an inspection of the facility. I apologize for not being ready; it seems I need to update my calendar."

"At ease, Supervisor." Long Feng assured with a slight smirk.

"I am here on a more...personal matter. This visit is not about an inspection of Lake Laogai, I assure you." He added.

"Oh, I see."

Bai visibly relaxed at this revelation, and after a moment's pause, cleared his throat, taking on a more pleasant tone as he asked, "Then, sir, what can I do for you?"

"I am in need of a custom-made Joo Dee." Long Feng briefed, getting straight to the point.

"I see. Well, we have plenty of models that have gone through the recruiting process, sir, but haven't yet been programmed to become a Greeter. Hm, do you need one for placement in a long-term undercover operation? I am sure that Agent Hwan can help you in that matter—"

"As I said, this is personal business. Not directly affiliated with the needs of the Dai Li." Long Feng declared with a wave of his hand. "I am simply in need of a custom-made Joo Dee. Give me the dossiers we have on our newest recruits, and I will pick one from them."

"Oh, well, as you say, sir." Bai gave him a perplexed look, but complied nonetheless. He walked over to a nearby cabinet, pulled out the files for the latest recruits, and handed them to Long Feng.

At once Long Feng started to leaf through the reports, looking for a viable caretaker for Toph. Toward the end of the papers, he came upon a Joo Dee that satisfied him.

Ming Hye, former mother of three. All of her sons were lost to the War after they left Ba Sing Se to join a militia. The husband had died long ago himself. She was alone, and had nothing left to live for. She had jumped at the chance of a 'new life' offered by the Joo Dee program, according to her dossier, and she had responded to the recruiting process positively. A rarity for any volunteer.

Oh, she was perfect. She would serve well as Toph's caretaker.

"I have made my selection." Long Feng declared, handing him Ming Hye's dossier.

"Splendid, sir," Bai took a glance at the file, memorizing the name, and then took the others back as well. "What shall we have her programmed with, then?"

"That is none of your concern, Supervisor. I will program her myself." Long Feng stated, giving him a hard stare. "Have her brought to Examination Room 1A, and I will do the rest."

"Very well. As you command..._sir_." Bai unintentionally put emphasis on that last word, as his eyes widened once more. Oddly enough, the man then grinned at him, and gave a formal bow.

"It shall be done," He said once again. Long Feng gave him a confused glare, wondering why he was responding this way, when it dawned on him himself.

...Oh.

Well. The request, and the manner in which Long Feng was going about it, could certainly be misconstrued as something like..._that. _

Still...while the thought was unpleasant, it was better that Bai think it was something perverse like that, instead of knowing the actual truth. A bitter pill to swallow, perhaps, but it was necessary.

"Good," Long Feng finally said at length. "I shall take my leave, then. It was pleasant visiting you, Supervisor. As always."

And with that, Long Feng turned and marched out of the room.

Time to mold Ming Hye into the perfect caretaker for Toph, then.


	4. Establishing the Foundations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, or anything else associated with the animated universe created by Mike Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. So please do not sue me; trust me, you wouldn't get any money out of it. _

* * *

**Chapter 4: Establishing the Foundations**

Within the depths of Lake Laogai, Long Feng waited in Examination Room 1A, ready to begin the indoctrination process for his daughter's new caretaker. Only after a minute of waiting, a Dai Li agent entered the room, escorting the placid and glassy-eyed Ming Hye into the chambers. The agent walked her over to the nearby chair, and strapped her in. With that completed, the agent gave Long Feng a nod, and departed.

Alone with his subject now, Long Feng took careful stock of the woman. She looked pleasant enough, he supposed, for a former citizen of the Lower Ring. But her features didn't interest him all that much, in all honesty. All Long Feng cared about was how serviceable she was.

In that department, the Grand Secretariat found her acceptable. She was physically adequate; perhaps a little too plump to properly keep up with an energetic young child, but unless Toph proved to be an earthbender later in life—and how _cruel _an irony that would be, a _blind_ earthbender!—Long Feng had little doubt his newfound daughter wouldn't be able to escape past the walls of his humble manor, so he wasn't too concerned, in that regard.

Overall, Ming Hye seemed a good candidate for his purpose; most especially so, due to the motherly instincts that were already imprinted on her mind. Long Feng would need Toph's guardian to truly care for the girl, and it wouldn't be that hard to adjust Ming Hye to be able to feel that.

Still, he needed to be _absolutely_ sure that the initial indoctrination procedure had worked, before he could proceed any further...

"The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Long Feng stated.

The trigger phrase sparked something within Ming Hye's mind at once; focus was regained in her eyes, and she seemed to be aware of her surroundings, now.

Calmly, she replied, "And I would be honored to accept."

"So far so good, I see." he noted to himself, before continuing on with the evaluation.

After a moment of indecision, Long Feng decided to go with a simple first question. "Subject, what is your name?"

"My name...I do not have a name." Ming Hye replied serenely, not showing the least bit concern.

"I see." Long Feng studied her for a moment, taking in her reaction, and then asked, "Do you have any family?"

"Family?" Ming Hye tilted her head in consideration. "No, I do not."

Long Feng gave her a pleased nod, comforted that the indoctrinator had done his job well. Finally, to be sure, he asked her one last question,

"What is your purpose in life?"

Ming Hye's answer was immediate. "I have no purpose in life."

The Head of the Dai Li smiled. "You will soon enough."

Satisfied, Long Feng decided to start the procedure. He grabbed a lantern from a nearby table, placed it on the track, lit it, and started rotating it with his earthbending. Ming Hye's eyes zeroed in on the revolving lantern within moments, watching it intently as it spun around her.

"Your name is Joo Dee." Long Feng instructed. He waited for Ming Hye to respond...

"My name is...is Joo Dee," she repeated with the slightest hesitation, her gaze never leaving the moving lantern.

"You have lived in Ba Sing Se all your life." Long Feng further stated.

"I have lived in Ba Sing Se all my life," Ming Hye mimicked, much more confident in her tone, now.

"You have no family or friends; but you do not care."

"I...have no family or friends...and I do not care."

"You are working as the maid and caretaker of the manor of the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se."

"I am working as the maid and caretaker of the manor of the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se."

"You are also the caretaker of the Grand Secretariat's daughter, Toph."

"I am also the caretaker of the Grand Secretariat's daughter, Toph."

"You love Toph with every fiber of your being, and would do nothing to harm her."

"I love Toph with every fiber of my being, and would do nothing to harm her." Joo Dee replied with a warm smile.

"Excellent," Long Feng smiled himself, pleased at her progress. "Now, let's go over this again..."

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Long Feng exited the room, the newly indoctrinated Joo Dee right behind him. Laying the basic foundations of her new life had been the easy part; filling in the gaps for the memories inbetween had been the more difficult aspect of the whole process. But, Ming Hye had already been a blank slate upon arrival, making his job all the more easier. And now, she was ready for service.

"I trust you're satisfied with your choice, sir?" Supervisor Bai inquired, walking up to his superior. Long Feng noted that he still had a smug look on his face, which ignited his fury, ever so slightly. But, it was best to ignore the fool man's insinuations. Things would be much easier if Bai didn't know the _real_ reason of why he personally programmed a Joo Dee.

"Yes, Supervisor. Now, I have some other business to attend to; would you please have an agent escort Joo Dee here to my manor in the Upper Ring?" Long Feng inquired, giving his subordinate a stern glare. Bai wisely decided not to press his luck any further with him, and nodded.

"Of course, sir. I'll have a man right on it." Supervisor Bai gave a formal bow, and walked over to Joo Dee, escorting her away. Long Feng watched them go for a moment, before turning and leaving himself.

"_Time to have my daily meeting with the Earth King, now."_ Long Feng thought, and mentally sighed. That was going to be lovely...

* * *

One short trip from Lake Laogai later, via the hidden tunnels between the underground base and the Palace, and Long Feng arrived at his destination. The Grand Secretariat was swiftly shown in by the guards, and brought to the Earth King's chambers. As he strode in, Long Feng briefly studied his surroundings with mild disgust; extreme extravagance met his every gaze.

The walls were covered with priceless and ancient paintings, many depicting famous battles or heroes of the Earth Kingdom; the furniture was gaudy and much too flashy, having all sorts of intricate patterns carved into the woodwork, and being painted bright, almost painful to look at, colors; and the worst of all, the bed of the Earth King, was big enough to house a small platoon of soldiers, and still have room left over!

Overall, Long Feng was most displeased by the sheer waste of _wealth _within this room; the Earth Kings, past and present, had absolutely no sense of reasonable spending. The monarchy was always ready and willing to go through vast amounts of gold for what amounted to shiny, but ultimately frivolous, junk. But, that was just the humble opinion of the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se...

"Long Feng! It's great to see you. Is it time for our meeting now?" King Kuei inquired, bringing the Secretariat out of his thoughts. Long Feng looked over at the naive, juvenile King of the Earth, and rested the urge to sigh.

"Yes, your majesty." Long Feng forced a smile to his face, and walked over to Kuei, who lay reclined on his enormous bed. "It's that time of day, I'm afraid."

Once a day, for the past five years, Long Feng had met with his King to go over matters of state. Of course, it was all just a show. Kuei had no real say in what went on in Ba Sing Se; nor did he really understand or know about the current state of the world. Long Feng had known Kuei throughout his life, and continued to play a major hand in the effort to keep the Earth King under political isolation. Such management made him much more easy to...influence, among other things.

Still, it was a great burden, to deal with this impotent _fool_ every day. Long Feng knew he had no one to blame but himself for Kuei's laid-back and careless personality, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The child King gave him such grave headaches, at times, due to all his antics. A year ago, Kuei had gone on a cultural binge, and had tried to have all the museums of Ba Sing Se give up their most priceless paintings and artifacts to the Palace. Thankfully, the King had been persuaded to to drop that matter, but Kuei's incessant whining about it had driven Long Feng to near insanity!

And then, there was the King's odd and grating fixation on hosting the _grandest_ of balls for his sixteenth birthday...

"Good! I was hoping to talk to you soon. How go the preparations of my party?" King Kuei asked, an eager smile on his face.

"They go well, your Majesty. I'm sure it'll be the grandest social event in Ba Sing Se for many decades to come," Long Feng assured, gracefully returning the young King's smile. Inwardly, though, he continued to seethe at his King's latest fixation, biting back the urge to rant about how it was such a _waste_ of precious funds.

"Splendid! I can't wait! Just think, Long Feng! Just another year, and I'll finally reach my Age of Majority!" Kuei grinned at that thought. "What a glorious day that shall be!"

"Ah, but what use would you have for your Regent then, my lord?" Long Feng gave the King a knowing look. "At that point, my title as Regent of the Earth King would be null and void. I dread that day, myself; it shall be such a shame to leave your court."

"Nonsense, Long Feng! I won't have any of that. Even if you won't be my Regent forever, I'll keep you on as an advisor! I couldn't do my job without you, Long Feng. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I'd never let you go!" Kuei declared with a broad gesture of his hands.

"I thank you for that, your Majesty. I look forward to continuing my service with you, no matter what it may entail." Long Feng bowed to his lord, and while his face was hidden, he well and truly smiled; almost sneering, in fact, as he thought,

"_You may be a fool, Kuei, but you're _my _fool. So long as I bare through your antics, I will be able to ensure the continued safety of Ba Sing Se for the rest of my life." _

Long Feng straightened himself, then, and cleared his throat. "Now, I believe we have other business to attend to..."

* * *

After his meeting with the Earth King concluded, Long Feng decided to briefly visit his manor before returning to work, to see if the Joo Dee had arrived, yet. When he entered through the front door, the sound of childish giggling greeted his ears; intrigued, the Head of the Dai Li swiftly wandered over to the source of the laughter, and paused before the sight that met his eyes.

Joo Dee had indeed arrived, and was now in the guest room set aside for Toph; inside, the young woman was helplessly tickling his new daughter, who squealed with delight. When Joo Dee noticed his presence, she immediately stopped, and gave him a slight bow.

"Ah, my apologizes, sir. I did not hear you come in. I was just playing with Toph; she is a delight, as always. Do you wish me to make some lunch now, sir?"

"No...no, that's fine, Joo Dee." Long Feng quickly gathered himself together, and brushed aside his previous momentary surprise; in her previous life, Ming Hye had been a mother, after all. No doubt she still had a subconscious knowledge of how to interact with children Toph's age.

"I was just stopping by to visit, that's all. I'll be going back to work in a minute; I trust you two will be fine, alone?"

"Of course! I'll be fine with Toph, sir." Joo Dee assured, flashing him the radiant smile that all Joo Dee seemed to be programmed with.

Toph herself added, inbetween giggles, "Joo Dee is the bestest nanny I've ever had!"

"I see." Long Feng couldn't help but give a small smile at that. "Very well, then. I'll be taking my leave now."

Long Feng turned to leave the room, but sent one last glance at Joo Dee and Toph; his new household maid and nanny, and his new daughter, respectively. My, he thought, how one's life could change in a single day...!

This was the beginning of his new life, now; at this point, there would be no turning back. And...despite the horrible circumstances that had caused this situation to happen in the first place...Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, and Head of the Dai Li...couldn't be happier. Or at least, something _close_ to approaching general happiness.

This...was going to be a most _interesting _new chapter in his life.


End file.
